Today was my first air show of 2011. Oddly, I didn’t go with my family. Instead, I went with a friend from work who is just as enthusiastic about planes as me. It was at the Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, FL.
The day started early with a huge breakfast. Since I was planning to stay all day, I wanted to stuff myself as full as possible to avoid spending lots of cash on air show food. Susan made me a fantastic burrito with scrambled eggs, sausage, red peppers, and cheese.
After breakfast, I picked up Mark, topped off the gas tank, and hit the highway. We arrived at the gate around 9:00AM. We parked right next to the main entrance and caught a ride on a stretched golf cart into the static display area. We thanked the gentleman for the ride, then set up our chairs right up next to the rope.
The static area was full of some classic older planes. At first glance, they all looked ready to fly, but on closer inspection, it was clear that they haven’t been ‘wheels up’ for several years… or decades.
The first old bird we looked at was the F-14 ‘Tomcat’. We were met by a volunteer who was also a former Tomcat pilot. We climbed up the ladder to get a good look inside the cockpit. When we climbed back down, he shared some amazing insights into how the plane flew with different wing sweep settings and how to maintain the ball while approaching a carrier for landing. He told us that many pilots washed out of the program because they couldn’t master carrier landings. The secret is to get lined up early and correctly, otherwise you will lose the slope while trying to get back on center due to the effects of the spoilers dumping lift to turn the plane.
Moving down the line, we met another volunteer with an interesting history. Although he wasn’t a combat pilot, he had some great stories to tell. He was a northerner who liked to spend time in Florida to work at air shows and motorcycle shows. He also volunteers with the Commemorative Air Force in Deland, FL, restoring old warbirds. He also worked on a tourist train up north. He was quite busy for a retired guy.
I was surprised to see a modern F/A-18 ‘Hornet’ in the US Navy Blue Angels paint scheme. I didn’t think they were already finding their way into museums.
Mark’s favorite plane was the A-10 ‘Warthog’. It was in pristine condition as it was still in active service. It was one of two flown in by the US Air Force for the show. The other was on the flight line and was scheduled to fly in the show.
My favorite static display was the F-86 ‘Sabre’. I was hoping to see one fly for the first time, but I didn’t see one on the schedule. The web site has photos of one flying, but it wasn’t to be this year.
Next up was the flight line. Here we found most of the planes that were scheduled to perform in the air show. The collection of WW II aircraft assembled was pretty impressive, from T-28 and T-6 trainers, to fighters like the F4U ‘Corsair - my favorite – and the shark-faced P-40 ‘Warhawk’.
Back in the static area, we checked a wide variety of aircraft, including three B-25 ‘Mitchell’s, an F-4 ‘Phantom’, and an incredibly large Sea Viking helicopter that reportedly is used to carry the mail. I’m thinking that the pilot didn’t give us the full story. Other static displays included the T-1 ‘Jayhawk’ and a C-47 named ‘Tico Belle’.
By now, the air show was about to start. On the way in I noticed a Texas Barbecue stand and decided that that’s what I wanted for lunch. Unfortunately, half of everyone in attendance had the same idea. The line was long, but it moved right along. I got pulled pork on a giant bun, and a side of baked beans. As we headed back to our chairs, I was glad we set them up early. There were now chairs and people on blankets six layers deep and more all the way down the rope line. As I sat in my chair, I immediately spilled bean juice on my shirt. With that out of the way, I enjoyed the rest of my meal while the parachutist started the show.
The most memorable part of the early show was the tribute to the veterans. I don’t recall ever seeing so many WW II aircraft in the air at one time. The sad thing was that the B-17 ‘Flying Fortress’ didn’t make it to the show, but the two P-51 ‘Mustangs’ were a nice addition not seen earlier on the flight line. The planes circled the field to the north at two different altitudes as the announcer described the history of each type. My favorite was the F4U. There aren’t very many of them still flying, so it is a rare treat seeing one in the air.
After the prop-jobs landed, the jets took to the sky. There was a retired guy named “Beetle” Bailey flying an L-39 ‘Albatross. He had a saying he lives by: “Life begins at 70.” Apparently, he bought the jet and joined the air show circuit when he was 70 years old, and that was over a decade ago!
The A-10 performed nicely, to Mark’s pleasure. Then the group called “Heavy Metal” flew their show. They are one of only two civilian jet acts on the circuit. They are a group of five guys flying L-39s. Four make up the diamond formation and one is a soloist. Their most interesting maneuver had the soloist flying barrel rolls around the smoke trail left by the diamond formation as they flew straight down the flight line.
The winner of the loudest participant goes to the F-15 ‘Eagle’, as always. This plane is purely amazing and a joy to watch.
The fastest plane in the show was the F-104 ‘Starfighter’. Too bad he couldn’t open it up and show us what that plane could really do.
The strangest act award goes to the jet-powered dragster. This thing looked like a normal dragster, but had a huge jet bolted onto the back. Definitely the work of a backyard tinkerer with too much cash on hand.
Wrapping up the show was the Air Force Heritage Flight, which consisted of The F-15, A-10, and P-51. It’s nice to see the history of the Air Force flying together, and it’s even nicer honoring those who served in the military.
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4 comments:
Well done Dave. I had a great time as well. When's the next guy's trip airshow?
Glad you liked it. Looks like two to choose from on the 26th of March. Too soon??
I am GREEN!
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